Matty Beniers scores OT winner after Kraken erase two-goal deficit

Kate Shefte, The Seattle Times on Feb 9, 2025

Published in Hockey

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The Seattle Kraken stirred their stumps during the final 10 minutes of Saturday’s game in Calgary and launched their seventh multigoal comeback of the season. Matty Beniers scored in overtime for a 3-2 victory, ending a three-game skid and sending Seattle into the 4 Nations Face-Off break on a high note.

For the second time in less than a week, the Flames opened up a multigoal lead on the Kraken. This time, they couldn’t hold onto it. Kraken rookie Shane Wright had a two-point night, securing his 12th goal and 31st point of the season. He scored Seattle’s first, 13:12 into the third period.

Wright then set up Andre Burakovsky (one goal, one assist) for the latter’s first goal in 14 games, and the game was tied 2-2.

The Kraken power play got a shot at redemption in 3-on-3 overtime, when Vince Dunn drew a holding penalty. Calgary goal scorer Morgan Frost was the guilty party. Dunn, who played a team-high 29:18 because of an earlier injury to the Kraken blue line, went right back out after a timeout to strategize.

Beniers used Jaden Schwartz as a screen, but the goal wasn’t deflected in front — at least not by Schwartz. It remains Beniers’ 13th of the season.

Seattle’s man advantage was scoreless on three attempts through two periods. Three of Seattle’s 10 shots on goal came on a lengthy, first-period 5-on-3 power play. After it faded to a 5-on-4, Kaapo Kakko was screening Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf and accidentally blocked Brandon Montour’s shot. He knocked it down to his own stick blade and quickly corralled it. Kakko, in tight, tried to swing the puck around the goalie, but Wolf flashed his glove to shove the chance wide.

Wolf (25 saves) also denied a chance from the Kraken’s hottest scorer, Eeli Tolvanen, who had goals in five of Seattle’s past seven games. Tolvanen got a quick shot off, trying to catch Wolf off balance during the second period.

Calgary’s Frost kicked off the scoring 2:22 into the second, beating Joey Daccord (27 saves) glove side. Frost was dealt from Philadelphia to Calgary on Jan. 30. Both of his goals since the trade have come against the Kraken.

Early in the third, Calgary center Nazem Kadri circled, waiting expectantly. He then cut through the crease to tap in a Jonathan Huberdeau feed to make it 2-0 Flames.

Wright scored with less than seven minutes left in regulation. Burakovsky followed up 2:07 later.

Seattle is idle until Feb. 22. Only Kakko will head to the 4 Nations Face-Off. The rest of the Kraken can use the time to rest and heal. Alternate captains Yanni Gourde and Jordan Eberle have been on the shelf for more than a month, and Calgary native Ryker Evans is working his way back from an injury that cost him five games and counting.

Defenseman Montour joined the list midgame Saturday. He left with an upper-body injury after playing 4:49. He wasn’t on the bench for the start of the second period and the team announced he wouldn’t return.

On the farm

On Friday, erstwhile Kraken goaltender Philipp Grubauer improved to 2-0 since his demotion from the NHL. Meanwhile forward Daniel Sprong has 14 points (seven goals, seven assists) through 12 American Hockey League games. He, too, was sent down from Seattle in January.

Grubauer made 29 saves in his second straight win with the Kraken’s top minor-league affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, on Friday night in San Diego. On its face, it looked strangely similar to Grubauer’s first outing with Coachella Valley on Feb. 1 at Texas. The Firebirds won 3-2 in overtime on a goal from Sprong each time.

In fact, all three Coachella Valley goal-scorers were the same. Ben Meyers and Jani Nyman helped the Firebirds reach OT both times. Twenty-year-old AHL All-Star Nyman leads league rookies with 18 goals. Meyers, meanwhile, leads his team with 34 points.

On Friday at San Diego, Sprong served a too-many-men penalty that spanned the last 1:37 of regulation and early overtime. He exited the penalty box and scored 1:05 into the extra frame.

The Firebirds’ next game is Wednesday against the Henderson Silver Knights.